Elevated levels of lead detected in water sources at 47 Delaware schools

Editor's note: This story was adjusted after initially being published to make clear that not all the water sources with lead levels were from fixtures typically used for drinking.

Lead was found in water sources at nearly 50 Delaware schools, prompting the Delaware Division of Public Health to advise shutting off at least one school’s drinking water supply in New Castle. 

Water samples were taken from 25 locations at the Wallace Wallin School in the Colonial School District last year and on multiple occasions throughout the summer, with all but three coming back with elevated lead levels. 

The results prompted the school to shut off its drinking water supply throughout the building at the beginning of the school year and utilize bottled water while the state continues to test the water quality and determine a plan for remediation, said Ted Lambert, director of facilities for the school district. 

“We received the first initial results back in June, and we shut off through guidance by DPH. From there, we shut down the rest of the fixtures that tested high and at that point we shut down the building for drinking water and brought bottled water in at the start of school this year,” he said. “We are still going through testing and waiting for guidance from DPH on what the next steps are.” 

The Wallin School is one of 47 schools with lead levels that require further monitoring or remediation, according to results released by the state last month. Wallin's highest results were over 12 times the maximum acceptable level in a staff break room. Lead levels from a water fountain outside a classroom at the school came back nine times higher than acceptable levels. 

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According to federal standards, acceptable levels of lead in water must be lower than 0.015 milligrams per liter, however, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention note that the Environmental Protection Agency's standard for lead in drinking water is "zero because lead can be harmful to human health at even low exposure levels."

There is no safe blood level for young children, thus all sources of lead exposure to children should be controlled or eliminated, according to the CDC.

The results are a compilation of nearly two years of testing at Delaware schools, with facilities in the Red Clay, Colonial and Indian River districts reporting some of the highest lead levels among the 19 school districts and 25 charter schools tested. 

State officials are working with the Colonial School District to determine the scope of the problem at the Wallin School, and initial targeted sampling results indicate the 6-inch main servicing line into the building could be the source of the lead contamination.

In the meantime, lunches are prepared at William Penn High School and brought to the Wallin School and drinking water sources remain shut off, health and school officials said. Water can still be used for flushing toilets and washing hands. Lead can't be absorbed through the skin, according to the CDC.

The state public health division’s efforts discovered nearly 150 sites throughout Delaware schools with levels close-to or higher than the maximum, and depending on the concentration of lead in the sample, state officials are working with school representatives to continue monitoring and come up with remediation plans. 

Once an elevated sample result is received, the division contacts district representatives to "temporarily discontinue use of impacted fixtures," according to public health and state Department of Education officials.

"At this point, DPH and the district representatives would discuss the next steps moving forward, identify the primary use of the fixture ‒ consumption versus non-consumption ‒ perform resampling, implement flushing programs, and replace the fixture if necessary, until acceptable sample results are achieved," the state departments said in a joint response to follow-up questions.

It is unclear whether any other schools have shut off drinking water sources and switched to bottled water as a result of the lead testing samples.

Elevated lead levels were found in kitchen prep sinks, faculty and student dining areas, water fountains and bottle filling stations, and classroom sinks, among other water fixture points. 

In some instances, elevated lead levels were detected from water fixtures that are not typically used for drinking, like outdoor hoses and boiler rooms. Some test samples did not indicate where in the school it was taken. Many other schools' samples came back with trace levels of lead, but were under the 0.015 milligrams per liter threshold, according to results.

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Lead exposure is particularly harmful to a child's health and can damage the brain and nervous system and slow growth and development, while also creating learning, behavior, hearing and speech problems.

To keep families and the community apprised of lead levels and plans for remediation at Delaware's schools, the state developed a webpage in June that provides fact sheets for parents and school staff, federal resources and the most current sample test results. Staff and family notification happens on the district level, state officials said, after receiving elevated results.

Got a tip? Contact Amanda Fries at afries@delawareonline.com, or by calling 302-598-5507. Follow her on Twitter at @mandy_fries.

Delaware schools with elevated lead levels

Below is a list of all Delaware schools that tested positive for lead levels close to or above the maximum 0.015 milligrams per liter threshold. Samples were taken from a variety of water fixtures, and drinking water sources may not have been the primary source for elevated lead levels.

• Concord High School
• Brandywine High School
• Mount Pleasant High School
• Forwood Elementary School
• Lancashire Elementary School
• Caesar Rodney High School
• Dover Air Force Base Middle School
• Richard Shields Elementary School
• Milton Elementary School
• Towne Point Elementary School
• William Henry Middle School
• Kent County Secondary ILC
• Fairview Elementary School
• Freire Charter School
• Newark High School
• Gauger-Cobbs Middle School
• Wilson Elementary School
• Glasgow High School
• Christiana High School
• Wallace Wallin School
• Gunning Bedford Middle School
• McCullough Middle School
• Kathleen Wilbur Elementary School
• William Penn High School
• Castle Hills Elementary School
• John G. Leach School
• Long Neck Elementary School
• G.W. Carver Educational Center
• Millsboro Middle School
• Phillip Showell Elementary School
• Ingram Pond Outdoor Educational Facility
• John M. Clayton Elementary School
• Lake Forest North Elementary School
• Laurel High School
• Marshallton High School
• A.I. du Pont High School
• James H. Grove Adult High School
• Cab Calloway School of the Arts
• A.I. du Pont Middle School
• H.B. du Pont Middle School
• Skyline Middle School
• Baltz Elementary School
• Warner Elementary School
• Seaford Middle School
• John Bassett Moore Intermediate School
• Smyrna Middle School
• Woodbridge High School